Highlights from 2024: A Year of Boldness, Connection, and Creativity

Back in March, we celebrated boldness and connection in more ways than one. The Peace Gardens in Sheffield came alive with a flash mob choreographed by the incredible Angelina Abel, a joyful celebration performed under the sunny Sheffield skies. This was followed by Cholavan workshops, where members of the public explored what it means to be bold and shared their inspiring stories. Later that month, the angry girls collective took centre stage at Samuel Worth Chapel with Speak, Rage, Soar, an immersive theatre piece that explored feminism and resistance. The production, born from weeks of outreach and conversation, became a powerful testament to the courage and fury of women stepping beyond societal expectations. 

May was a month of resilience and remembrance as we revisited the strength of women during the 1984-85 miners’ strike. We got to transform the Cholavan into a soup kitchen at the WoW Festival in Rotherham, offering not just sustenance but stories. Audience were invited to come in and listen to an incredible sound installation created using oral histories from women on the picket lines. Next up was Daughters of Coal, performed first at the Clifton Park Museum in May and again at Rotherham Show in September, the show transported audiences back to a time of solidarity and hope. 

Alongside all of this, our Caring & Creative Schools Programme continued to drive radically caring learning experiences across schools, museums, and at Universities in Yorkshire. As part of the final year of our Caring & Creative Schools Programme, we have five new incredible Imaginary Communities Trainees, who will join us between January and March 2025, learning the tools to transform education through creativity and care.